Keys of Memory
by S.P.D. Gold Ranger
Summary: Directly after the events of Key to Her Heart, Nick embarks on a lonely journey to Castle Oblivion in the hopes of reuniting with his missing friends, and Will begins her own journey to purge the dark influence that still dwells within her...
1. Nick's Story: Where the Memories Lie

**("Distance" by Nami Tamaki plays)**

Nick takes a look down the winding paths of the Crossroads, searching each path for the road that would lead him to his friends. Noticing a large and familiar castle in the distance, Nick smiles before raising the Oathkeeper and racing down the path.

Nick takes notice of the familiarity of the castle that is slowly becoming less blurry. Nick takes a good long look at his keyblade. Nick then pulls out Irma's lucky charm, remembering the promise he'd made.

Nick took one last longing look at the winding pathways before him.

"I guess that as long as I wield the keyblade, these adventures will never end..."

Nick looks into the dark sky, then smiles.

"...but I wouldn't have it any other way."

That said, Nick raises his keyblade once more and charges down the winding pathways, unsure of where the next path will lead him, but eagerly awaiting the journey.

A while later, Nick is still searching the Crossroads, about to take a break, when he sees something that confuses him.

"Wait a minute. Who was that?" Nick wonders. "Huh. Must have been the wind."

He turns around, only to see someone in a black hood out of the corner of his eye. He finishes his turn, only to find the figure gone.

Nick shrugs it off, but turns around again, and clearly sees the hooded figure in front of him.

_Ahead lies something you need..._

Nick quickly raises the Oathkeeper, but the hooded man disappears.

_...but to claim it, you must lose something dear._

Nick takes a look at the castle ahead.

"Adventure never leaves me alone, does it?"

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(They say that those who cannot do, follow someone and learn.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_W.I.T.C.H.: Keys of Memory  
_Story Created: March 12th, 2008  
Summary: Directly following the events of _Key to Her Heart_, Nick journeys to Castle Oblivion, still on the search for his missing friends. What he finds in this castle may tear his very world apart... Meanwhile, Will, still on her path to cleanse the darkness inside her, also finds herself in Castle Oblivion, hoping to find a way to erase Xehanort's still-standing influence on her...

Author's Note: Yeah, you knew this one would be coming eventually. And I promise, no half-year-long hiatus with this one! As a special treat, I'm going to include a snippet from the upcoming _In World's End_ at the conclusion of each chapter of this story, which will detail Maylin and Haruka's enigmatic past. Enough said. Let's get right into it!!

Also, I don't own ANY franchises used in this story. They belong to whoever created them. This story is copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger (me), March 2008.

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Chapter 1: Where the Memories Lie

As Nick slowly opened the door to the castle, he could feel an eerie feeling of familiarity that only grew with every forward step he took.

"This is so weird," Nick stated to nobody in particular. "Why does this place seem so familiar?"

Just then, he noticed that someone was standing in front of him. It was none other than the hooded man from before!

"Oh, you again," Nick challenged. "Why don't you stand aside?!"

Nick pulled out his Drive orb, ready to transform into Limit Form...

...only to notice that it wasn't glowing at all.

"What the heck?" Nick exclaimed. "Why can't I transform?"

"I should think it's obvious. The moment you set foot in this castle, you forgot every spell and ability you knew... though the forgetting does not end there. In this place, to find is to lose and to lose is to find. That is the way of things in Castle Oblivion," the hooded figure explained.

"Castle Oblivion?" Nick repeated. He could have sworn he'd heard the name before...

"Yes... Here you will meet people you know. People you miss."

This caused Nick to nearly jump in his spot. "You mean Will? She's here?!"

"Do you want to find her? If you do..."

Nick raised the Oathkeeper, ready to strike if the hooded man tried anything. Before he could strike, however, the hooded figure rushed forward in a blinding flash, going right through Nick. Suddenly, Nick couldn't see anything but darkness as voices ran through his head…

"_The other side..."_

"_Trust what you remember, seek what you forget..."_

"_Don't say things like that!"_

"_A hope deferred is the strongest sign of rage..."_

"_You shame yourself and the Organization."_

"_Don't you see? I love her!"_

"_We have more in common than you think..."_

"_I've already finished off your little lackeys!"_

"_She's too special for that."_

"_It won't be long before you're next!"_

"_This is my home, isn't it?"_

"_That's why I'll never forget her..."_

"_I'm always with you..."_

Finally, Nick could see again. The hooded figure was back in front of him, holding what appeared to be a card.

"What was that for?" Nick wondered.

"I sampled your memories, and from them, I made this. This is the key to reuniting with those you hold dear," the hooded figure replied, throwing Nick a small object.

"What is this, a card?" Nick responded.

"A promise. Use that card and press on. You will understand soon enough."

With that, the hooded figure disappeared.

"A promise, huh?"

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Nick looked around his surroundings as this location registered in his head. "Wait. This can't be right! This is Traverse Town!!"

"It isn't reality that you see. This town is an illusion conceived by your memories ingrained in that card," the hooded figure explained.

"First off, buddy, you wanna explain why you sealed away my abilities?" Nick exclaimed.

"Your powers are at the mercy of the cards now. Master the cards, and their strength will be yours again," the hooded figure stated.

Nick raised the Oathkeeper, ready to battle.

"The laws of this castle require that your friends be transformed into cards. If you value your friends, you will pick them up without fail."

The hooded figure threw a card to the ground, and Nick almost instantly retrieved it. It had a picture of Maylin on it.

"Cards you pick up are added to the top of your stack. Use them, and your friends will come to your aid."

Focusing on the card's power, Nick held the card into the air, and it shined with a bright light. All of a sudden, Maylin seemed to jump out of nowhere and launch a Fire spell for the hooded figure, who easily blocked the strike. Before Nick could say a word, Maylin had vanished.

"The cards you use vanish, but they will reappear to aid you time and again. Cards are the hearts of your friends. Everything in this castle is ruled by cards. Whether an enemy or a door stands in your way, cards are the only way to proceed. But you mustn't forget your own strength."

With that, the hooded figure charged forward, lashing out at Nick. The keybearer simply raised the Oathkeeper and deflected each strike. After a while of this, the hooded figure performed a high attack that Nick was able to avoid by doing an evasive roll.

"Good."

"I could the say the same for you," Nick stated.

"Hmm, the hero speaks boldly. Go, then. The rest of Castle Oblivion awaits. Walk the avenues of latent memory, and you shall meet someone dear to you. I hereby grant you this ability. Use it well."

The hooded figure raised his arms, and Nick was covered in a bright light. When the light was clear, the hooded man had vanished.

Nick quickly twirled the Oathkeeper before ripping forward with a mighty strike.

"I got Zantetsuken back, huh? That freak must be quite confident in me," Nick said to himself.

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_Meanwhile..._

After a little journeying, Nick realized that for an ingrained memory, Traverse Town was exactly as he remembered it; even the karaoke inn was still there.

"That's where Maylin sang that beautiful song," Nick reminisced. "I feel like I'm getting a bit rusty when it comes to the Heartless, but I should be able to handle that."

"Think like that, and you're as good as Heartless fodder."

Nick spun around to see the famous Gunblade wielder Squall Leonheart standing before him.

"Leon, it's you! What the heck are you doing in Castle Oblivion?" Nick asked.

"Castle Oblivion? What are you talking about? This is Traverse Town. And how do you know my name? I've never seen you before in my life," Leon stated rather bluntly.

Nick was getting angry by now. "Quit playing games with me, Leon! We all fought the Heartless together! You know that!"

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know your names," Leon replied.

"I can't believe it. How can you have forgotten about me so quickly?" Nick exclaimed.

"Hey, I feel for you. But you've got the wrong guy. Happens all the time. Don't take it so personally, Nick," Leon stated.

"AHA!!! You DO remember me!!" Nick exclaimed, spinning the Oathkeeper in his hands.

"I don't get it... what's wrong with my memory?" Leon asked nobody in particular, shaking his head.

"I dunno, Leon. Maybe Aerith was onto something after all."

With that, the legendary Materia hunter Yuffie Kisaragi walked up.

"She said she sensed some uncanny kind of power and asked us to look into it. Well, we looked. And this is as uncanny as it gets. Maybe we should bring Nick and the others to Aerith," Yuffie explained.

"At least YOU remember my name, Yuffie," Nick replied, wondering just what the heck was going on.

"Yep! Looks like you know mine, too!" Yuffie replied, ever cheerful.

"Friend of yours?" Leon asked.

"Nope! Total stranger," Yuffie replied, causing Nick to emit a low growl. "But I definitely know his name. Strange, yes, but convenient! We can skip the introductions."

"Gee, Yuffie, I guess all our problems are solved," Leon stated sarcastically.

"Anyways, I'm gonna run ahead and fill Aerith in. Leon, you give Nick the grand tour. See ya later!" With that, Yuffie was off.

"Well, let's get on with it. Come on, follow me. Be careful, though. There are still Heartless wandering around town. I'd better teach you how to protect yourself in battle," Leon asked. Nick nodded and brandished the Oathkeeper, ready for battle.

"See the numbers printed on your cards? They range from 0 to 9. Higher numbers mean stronger cards. If you and your enemy both play a card at the same time, the higher card wins. Go on, try it out," Leon explained. Nick drew a few of his cards and used them to attack, just as Leon had instructed.

"Good job, kid. See how it works? Playing a card higher than your opponent's and breaking through their defenses... is called a 'card break'. Playing a lower card results in your attack being deflected. Even powerful cards can be deflected if the enemy's card is higher. Whoever is on the losing side of a break is left wide open to attacks. Don't let that person be you. Cards with 0 as their value are special. No matter what card the enemy plays, you can break it with a zero card. But you have to wait until AFTER the enemy plays their card. If you play the zero card too soon, the enemy can break it with any card they play. In other words, it's the most powerful card if it comes last, and useless if it comes first. Try to make the most of it. You following me so far?"

Nick nodded, absorbing all the information like a sponge.

"Now it's time to teach you how to stock cards. You don't have to use battle cards one at a time. You can also assemble three cards and use them all at once. This is called stocking cards. Stocking cards and using them in threes is much stronger than using cards individually. Go on, give it a try. Stock any three cards in your deck. Remember, you need three cards or it won't work."

Nick sifted through his deck, picking out three cards and combining them together.

"The sum of your three stocked cards becomes the value you play. The value is usually high and hard to break, and the combo attack deals a lot of damage. Don't hold back. Show me what you can do."

"All right, Leon, you asked for it!!" Nick exclaimed, ripping forward with a mighty strike that nearly knocked Leon on his back.

As Leon picked himself up, he couldn't help but laugh. "Nice one, kid. You think you've got the hang of this now?"

"Yeah, more or less. I'll pick up the rest when I fight some real battles," Nick replied.

"Here, I found this lying around. You take it. Remember what I told you and make good use of it." With that, Leon tossed Nick a card, who quickly put it into his deck.

_Later..._

"Aerith, tell me you haven't forgotten me, too," Nick exclaimed.

"I don't know whether to say 'nice to meet you' or 'good to see you again'," Aerith replied. "It feels like a little of both. I don't think I know you, but I still feel like you belong here."

"Yeah, exactly!" Yuffie said. "Like we've never met, but it still doesn't feel weird knowing your name."

"But I'm telling you, we HAVE met," Nick explained. "We took on the Heartless together. We were a team!"

"It feels like you're right..." Leon noted. "But I can't remember."

"Then I guess you won't remember what you told me," Nick explained. "In Hollow Bastion, when I sealed the Keyhole! 'We may never meet again...'"

"...but we'll never forget each other." Leon added.

"See, you do remember!" Nick yelled.

"He's right, Leon!" Yuffie said. "I remember you saying that, too."

"I guess I can't write it off as a coincidence, then," Leon answered.

"I don't think I have any memory of it..." Aerith wondered. "...but somehow I still remember. Maybe Nick's heart is doing the remembering for us."

"How does THAT work?" Nick asked.

"We don't know you, Nick, but your heart is full of memories of us together," Aerith explained. "Those memories must resonate in our hearts, too. Maybe they tell us things we couldn't otherwise know. "

"So you're saying that Nick's memories are affecting ours?" Leon asked.

"His memories do seem to have a certain power," Aerith replied.

"Maybe it's like that guy said, then," Nick wondered. "This town is just an illusion. Something my memories created."

"And... there's someone special to you in this town?" Aerith asked.

"How did you..." Nick exclaimed, but then stopped and thought for a second. "Ah, I get it. My memories are resonating with yours, telling you what happened. Anyway, yeah. A friend of mine is somewhere in this town — I mean, Castle Oblivion."

"Castle Oblivion? What's that?" Yuffie asked. "There aren't any castles in Traverse Town."

"That's not quite what I mean," Nick replied.

"Nick probably still has his own questions. Right?" Aerith asked.

"Right," Nick replied. "I just got here, after all. It wouldn't hurt to take a look around."

"Then go have a walk around town," Leon noted. "There are Heartless, but that's no problem for you."

"So you know I can fight!" Nick said.

"I can't say I remember, but I am starting to believe," Leon noted.

_Later..._

As Nick continued to take a walk around the town square, he was looking high and low, but apparently to no avail.

All of a sudden, something dropped down in front of him – it was the Guard Armor!

"Well, well, doesn't this bring back memories?" Nick stated, drawing two cards from his deck with pictures of Maylin and Haruka on them. Focusing on his power, the two cards began shining with a bright light. In an instant, exact copies of Maylin and Haruka appeared beside Nick, ready to fight alongside him.

The Guard Armor answered this challenge by thrusting its clawed arms straight for Haruka. Nick was over there in a flash, immobilizing the arm with the Oathkeeper.

All of a sudden, the Guard Armor began stomping towards the trio, its arms swiping madly.

Maylin hopped into the air and drew a Fire coin. "Force, know my plight! Release the light! FIRE!" she chanted, slamming her keyblade into the coin. The letters on the coin shined before unleashing a blast of fire that impacted the Guard Armor's left arm and easily destroyed it.

"Well, now we know its weakness," Maylin noted, readying another Fire spell coin. Before she could cast the spell, however, the destroyed arm suddenly reappeared.

"Okay, no one told me that thing could regenerate itself!" Maylin shouted, slapping her forehead in frustration.

While the girls were busy, Nick decided on direct attack, and began swinging madly, cutting deep into the Guard Armor's torso.

Suddenly, Nick got an idea.

"Girls! I think I know why it keeps regenerating itself!" Nick shouted, drawing Maylin and Haruka's attention. "As long as the torso is around, the arms and legs can regenerate themselves! I bet that if we can take down the torso, the whole thing will vaporize!"

No more words needed to be said, and thus Maylin and Haruka began concentrating their attacks on the Guard Armor's body while Nick charged up a special attack.

After a bit of punishment, the Guard Armor aimed its free arm towards Nick. One slap and Nick was sent flying.

"Oh, no! Hold on, Nick!" Maylin shouted, drawing a special spell coin from her pockets. "CURE!" she shouted, aiming the coin towards the damaged Nick. In an instant, the wound on Nick's arm caused by the Guard Armor's surprise attack instantly disappeared.

"Thanks," Nick said before holding the Oathkeeper into the air and finishing his charge-up. Soon enough, Nick began glowing a bright blue.

"Stand back, girls!" Nick shouted, prompting both girls to back away. Nick took this as his chance, flying upwards and disappearing from sight. The Guard Armor looked left and right for Nick, but to no avail.

Seemingly out of the blue, Nick reappeared again, and charged for the Guard Armor, the Oathkeeper held out proudly. He used his power to charge forward at incredible speeds, attacking each and every part of the Guard Armor. First, he focused on the arms, then the legs, and once all of the appendages were out of the way, he delivered a final slash to the Guard Armor's torso, considerably damaging it. The now solitary torso fell to the ground. However, Nick wasn't done yet.

"You're finished," Nick simply said, rushing towards the fallen Heartless. In an instant, Nick had jammed Oathkeeper straight into the Guard Armor's head. A few seconds later, the Guard Armor completely disappeared, its only remains being a giant, glowing heart that floated into the sky.

(Author's Note: Yes, that's the exact same Guard Armor battle from _Key to Her Heart_. It's just very late as I'm typing right now, and being sleepy sometimes impairs writing power. So there.)

Maylin and Haruka nodded to Nick before disappearing into the cards they'd come from. Once everything had settled down, Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith walked up.

"So your friend wasn't here?" Yuffie asked.

"No, I don't think I'll find her in this town," Nick replied. "But she's somewhere in this castle. I just know it."

"Castle? Like this whole town's inside some humongous castle?" Yuffie laughed.

"He's probably right, Yuffie," Leon replied. "We may not understand what's going on, but Nick does. He can see that reality is bigger than just this world."

"I wish I was that sure," Nick answered.

"You'll be okay, Nick. No matter what shape reality takes, you can handle it," Leon explained. "I may not remember you, but I know you in my heart."

"Leon..." Nick whispered.

"Take care, Nick," Yuffie said.

Once everyone was gone, Nick turned towards the way out of Traverse Town, but Aerith quickly walked back.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked.

"I don't have all the answers, but there's something I thought you should know," Aerith explained. "Your memories created this town, right?"

"That's what the guy who gave me the card said," Nick replied.

"If that's true, then this town is just a figment of your mind..." Aerith explained. "...and so are we."

"But..." Nick said, "...you can't be a figment! You're standing right here. The town is here, too!"

"But I'm not really me. I don't remember the things I should. I sense things I shouldn't," Aerith explained. "Nick, beware your memories. In the journey to come, you'll be faced with more illusions. Sometimes the shadows of your memory will deceive you, try to lead you astray."

"So, uh... what exactly does that mean?" Nick asked.

"I'm just another illusion, Nick. The truth is out of my reach," Aerith replied.

"Don't say stuff like that. It's depressing..." Nick sighed.

"No, Nick!" Aerith said, "You mustn't let illusions distract you from what's truly important."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Take care, Aerith!!" Nick exclaimed, waving to Aerith as he headed for the Traverse Town gates.

_Back in Castle Oblivion..._

"Well, Nick? Did you enjoy meeting your memories?" the hooded figure asked once Nick had arrived.

"It was nice to see everyone again. But why show me an illusion? Just what do you want from me?" Nick wondered, brandishing the Oathkeeper. The hooded figure smirked, though we can't see it under his hood.

"That depends on what you have to give."

Nick stood there, ready for a fight.

"Boo."

The hooded figure turned towards a man with long, spiky red hair who was wearing a similar black robe.

"What do you want?"

"I got bored, what with you hogging the hero," the red-haired man replied. The hooded figure groaned and threw a card to the other figure.

"Perhaps YOU'D like to test him."

The red-haired figure smirked. "Perhaps I would."

The first figure disappeared in a column of darkness.

"Looks like it's my show now, Keyblade master. My name is Axel. Commit it to memory," Axel stated.

"Um... sure," Nick replied, a little confused.

"Good. You learn quick. So, Nick, now that we're on a first-name basis..."

With that, Axel summoned his pinwheels. Nick brandished the Oathkeeper, ready to fight.

"...don't go dying on me!!"

Axel charged for Nick, lashing out with his pinwheels, only to have it blocked with a swift strike from the Oathkeeper. Axel then tried a low attack, but it, too, was stopped cold.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Nick performed a step vault off of Axel's head and landed behind him, lashing out with the Oathkeeper. Axel quickly spun around to block the attack and slash at Nick.

With a swift uppercut, Axel soon found his pinwheels on the floor a few feet away. Nick had the Oathkeeper pointed straight at Axel's face.

"Game set," Nick proclaimed.

"Indeed," Axel responded. "After an introduction like that, you don't think I'd just give up the ghost?"

"So you were just testing my strength," Nick grunted.

"Congratulations, Nick. You passed! You're ready to take on Castle Oblivion," Axel joked. "Follow your memories. Trust what you remember, seek what you forget... and you will find someone very special."

"Are you talking about Will?" Nick wondered.

"Well, I don't know," Axel replied. "You'll just have to give some more thought to who's most important to you. Our most precious memories lie deep in our hearts, out of reach. But you can find yours, Nick."

"Where? How?" Nick asked.

"The light within the darkness. You've lost sight of it, Nick. You've forgotten forgetting," Axel explained.

"Light?" Nick asked, "I don't understand..."

"Would you like a hint?" Axel asked. Nick thought for a couple seconds.

"No, I want to figure it out for myself," Nick replied, brandishing the Oathkeeper in case Axel tried anything funny. "And if you get in my way, you're going to regret ever crossing me!"

"That's my kind of answer. Just what I'd expect from the Keyblade master," Axel smirked. "But be forewarned... When your sleeping memories awaken, you may no be you."

And with that, Axel was gone.

"What did he mean by that?" Nick wondered. "_You may no longer be you..._"

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Next time:

Chapter 2: Crystal of Memories

Nick heads into the card worlds in hopes of finding some answers as to what this mysterious organization is up to...

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_Snippet #1: He's Arrived_

"What's wrong, Maylin?" Haruka asked.

"He's here..." Maylin noted. "I can sense his dark energy."

"Why would he be HERE, of all places?" Haruka wondered, letting Sweet Crest rest on her shoulders.

"You should know him by now, Haruka," Maylin continued. "He doesn't care where he ends up, as long as he can collect hearts. That's why we've got to intercept him."

With that, Maylin was off. Haruka sighed in frustration.

"Oh, Maylin... when will I ever stop worrying about you?" Haruka wondered, trying to catch up with her rather confusing partner.

_To be continued..._


	2. Reverse Rebirth: Tied to the Darkness

"Uhh..." a red-haired girl moans. We fade in to see the girl lying on her back, surrounded by nothing but complete darkness.

This girl is Will Vandom, ex-leader of the Guardians of the Veil.

Not too long ago, about a year after the climax of the Keyblade Wars, Will and the Guardians had relinquished their keyblades to the Oracle until they were needed again. Out of nowhere, Will had suddenly fabricated a desire to have her own keyblade back, and this had attracted the attention of Xehanort, who was thought to have been destroyed at the end of the Keyblade Wars by Nick. Not wasting any time, Xehanort has possessed Will, and this set off a chain of events that culminated at Hollow Bastion, where the possessed Will had faced off against her best friend Nick, who had been on a perilous journey through the worlds in search of her and Irma. In the end, Nick turned the Dark Keyblade on himself to free Irma's heart, and Will had taken the opportunity to reject Xehanort, eventually working side-by-side with Nick to destroy Xehanort for good.

Now, Will was on a journey to cleanse the darkness inside of her so she could return to her friends.

"Ugh... where... where am I?" Will wondered, slowly getting to her feet. "The last thing I remember is meeting up with Nanaka-chan, and then... then there was nothing. Is someone trying to mess with me?"

"_Sleep."_

This voice made Will jump in her spot as she spun around trying to pinpoint its source. "Who said that?!"

"_Sleep. Here, between light and dark."_

"Huh? Wait a minute! Where's Nick? All I remember was us working together to destroy Xehanort, but I can't remember anything beyond that..." Will wondered, curious as to what was messing up her memory.

"_You're the only one who washed up here. You didn't have the power to prevail over darkness. No, you should have embraced the darkness."_

Will chuckled a bit at this odd statement. "You talk like I'm some kind of demon of the dark."

"_Can you face the truth? You turned your back on the light before you closed your eyes. Here, blanketed by the darkness, sleep is safety. Sleep is eternal."_

A glowing ball of energy appeared in front of Will, surprising her.

"Wait. Is this a card?"

"_It is a door to the truth. Take it, and your sleep ends. Take it, and take the first step toward the truth. But know this: the truth will bring you pain. Will you still go? There can be no returning to the sweet security of sleep."_

Will thought this over for a few seconds before turning to the ball of light, a bright smile on her face.

"Yeah, well... seems like a rather boring place to go on a snooze cruise, anyway."

"_Well said, Will."_

Will reaches for the card, only to have a bright light envelop her and take her to the bottom basement of Castle Oblivion. She looks at the door ahead.

"A door to the truth, huh? All right, let's see where this goes."

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(They say that those who cannot do, follow someone and learn.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_W.I.T.C.H.: Keys of Memory  
_Story Created: March 12, 2008  
This Chapter: August 15, 2008  
Summary: Directly following the events of _Key to Her Heart_, Nick journeys to Castle Oblivion, still on the search for his missing friends. What he finds in this castle may tear his very world apart... Meanwhile, Will, still on her path to cleanse the darkness inside her, also finds herself in Castle Oblivion, hoping to find a way to erase Xehanort's still-standing influence on her...

Author's Note: Okay, here's how I'm going to do this. After each chapter with Nick's story, I'll do a chapter with Will's story. And, I'm sorry. I didn't keep my promise too well. I'll try my best to keep up a steady stream of updates, though it may be tough since college is starting up again pretty soon. I'll try to put up at least one chapter a week. Also, to clarify something for Nick's story: I'll only be doing in-world dialogue for the three key worlds (Twilight Town, Heatherfield, and Castle Oblivion), but I'll try to spruce up the parts before the boss battles with some extra dialogue. I'll do the same with Will's story.

Also, I don't own ANY franchises used in this story. They belong to whoever created them. This story is copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger (me), March 2008.

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Chapter 1-B: Tied to the Darkness

Will gasped in shock upon arriving at her destination: Hollow Bastion.

"Wait just a damn minute! This is Diablos's castle!" Will exclaimed, brandishing the Soul Eater. "How'd I end up HERE? Someone must have brought me here while I was sleeping. But who?"

"What you see is not real," the voice from earlier said. "It's merely the world of your memory."

"My memory?" Will asked, still not entirely sure what this stupid voice was babbling about.

"The things you remember of Diablos's castle from your time there," the voice explained. "Those memories became a card, and that card made this world. The things you see... you've seen them all before, haven't you?"

"Yeah... So what now?" Will asked. "Am I supposed to learn something while I'm here? Maybe run into someone I know?"

"Ordinarily... yes," the voice answered. "You would meet the people in your memories."

"Ordinarily?" Will asked. "Hey, I'm asking you a question!"

Nothing but silence answered the dark warrior.

"Fine. But it'd better be you I run across next, voice. I'm sick of talking to thin air."

Will ran off, eventually running into the Heartless again. Not wasting a single second, Will brought the Soul Eater into a fighting stance. She'd come to love this weapon after fighting so many Heartless with it while on her path to redemption.

After a good bout of hopping around and slashing at the Heartless, Will had cleared the room and eventually arrived in the library.

"It's like he said..." Will thought to herself. "Everything's just how I remember it. Even this room..."

"It must be nice being back in your old bedroom," the mysterious voice said. "Think of all the memories..."

"You again, huh?" Will replied, a little edge to her voice. "Sorry, but these memories I could do without. Diablos gave me this room."

"So he did," the voice replied. "And you lived here, tempted by the darkness he offered. You cast away your home, your friends, everything... but at least they gave you a nice room."

"Shut up," Will snarled, setting off once again.

As she continued on her journey, Will suddenly saw an image enter her head...

"_Man, it's good to be able to relax for a while, huh, Nick?" Haruka asked Nick, who was laying on the other side of the bed that the three explorers were sharing._

"_Yeah, especially after that duel I had with Will. I'm exhausted," Nick replied, gazing at the Oathkeeper keyblade that rested on the nearby dresser._

"_I know. We all saw you going at it in Port Mystic. I had a bit of trouble keeping up with you two!" Haruka exclaimed. "You were all, like, CLANG and ZOOM! I couldn't believe that!"_

"_She packed one hell of a wallop, too. Those dark powers she's acquired must have enhanced her elemental powers AND her physical strength. She's gotta be one of the best fighters I've ever encountered, and that's saying a lot, considering some of the weirdoes we've faced," Nick explained._

"_Like Nerissa and the Chasers?" Haruka wondered._

"_Exactly. I'm guessing you knew all about them, since you're from Candracar?" Nick asked._

"_Maylin and I aren't actually from Candracar," Haruka explained. "We were just two girls who wielded Keyblades. The Oracle saw our potential and made us Guardians of Candracar. I instantly knew something in your world had gone horribly wrong when we found Heartless everywhere in the palace."_

"_There were Heartless in Candracar?" Nick exclaimed._

"_I think it started about the time Will made her turn to the darkness," Haruka replied to that statement. "Will's keyblade became the Dark Keyblade and disappeared. By then, Heatherfield's star was beginning to fade out, and..."_

_She stopped on a dime upon seeing tears beginning to form in Nick's eyes. 'Wrong subject, Haruka! You know how much he misses his home and friends...'_

_Haruka reached over and patted Nick on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, Nick. I didn't mean to get you upset about your home..."_

_She was quickly interrupted when Nick lunged forward, throwing his arms around Haruka, crying his heart out. "It's not that, Haruka. One of the Guardians... she was my lover... And I made a promise to her that I'd always protect her. I feel like... like I failed her..."_

_Haruka was quite surprised by this sudden display of emotion. "Don't say that, Nick," she whispered soothingly, returning the embrace. "Things were beyond your control. There was no way you could have known before it was too late. We will find her, as well as the others. I promise you that."_

_Nick looked into Haruka's eyes... they were the same color as Irma's eyes..._

"_Thanks, Haruka. That means so much to me," Nick replied, settling into Haruka's embrace._

Will looked a little confused as she skidded into the Lift Stop.

"No one here, either... There's nothing but Heartless in this castle."

Will turned around, searching for the mysterious voice that was guiding her.

"Voice! I know you're watching, so explain something to me," Will shouted. "Where are the people from my memories? Tell me!"

"Are you sure you want to see them?" the voice asked.

"Of course I do," Will replied, starting to get angry by this point.

"But you cast them aside," the voice answered. "To reach the outside world, you passed through the door to darkness. Behind you, you left family, friends, home... everything... all in pursuit of darkness."

"But I cast that aside, too!" Will responded.

"Then what do you have to show for it?" the voice asked. "First your home, then the dark. Your heart only knows how to throw things away. It's empty, like that room. Like your memories. That's why no one is in the castle with you. Your heart is hollow except for the darkness you couldn't quite shake off."

"Oh, you're so full of crap!" Will yelled. "I rejected the darkness!"

"Ha, ha, ha..." the voice laughed. "Did you really, now?"

After a little more journeying, Will found herself in the Castle Chapel, where none other than Lord Diablos was waiting.

"I knew you'd return, Will," Diablos stated.

"Diablos?!" Will exclaimed. "You're alive? I thought Nick and the girls wiped the floor with your robed behind!!"

"You haven't been paying attention. I am but a mere figment of your memory," Diablos explained.

"Of all the people I could have run into, it just had to be you..." Will stated, shaking her head.

"Who else? Your heart is steeped in darkness. You can only see people who exist in that same darkness... people like me," Diablos taunted. "Be grateful you have someone to keep you company. Your heart is empty. Were it not for the darkness in your heart... you would be completely alone."

Will smirked, obviously not in the mood for games. "That's actually sounding pretty good right about now. So, you wanna explain what you're doing in my memories?"

"Come, now," Diablos stated, twirling his staff. "You once clung to me to sate your hunger for darkness. You want me here. Who else but I can give you the darkness you long for?"

Will sighed longingly, flashing back to the things she'd done under Xehanort's influence. "There was a time I did want you around. I surrendered my heart to the dark. But never again. You and your darkness have nothing to offer. All I did was lose myself... empty myself! I'm finished with all that. If I'm stuck seeing people like you, people of the dark... I'll take you out one by one."

Will brandished the Soul Eater. "And that's not a threat. That's a _promise._"

"Then don't forget to take yourself out last. Because you, like me, are one of the dark," Diablos interjected.

"That's fine with me. I turned to darkness because my heart was weak. I hate that weakness. It's like I'm my own enemy. And seeing people like you embrace the darkness just makes it worse! Enough talk, Diablos," Will challenged. "You thought Nick kicked your butt badly? He was NOTHING compared to what I'm going to do to you!"

Diablos simply laughed, beginning to channel dark energy around him. "So you hate the darkness enough to fight it... Oh, the agony you must feel! Let me end your pain, Will... end it forever with the wondrous power of darkness!"

With that, Diablos transformed into his dragon form, easily towering over Will. This didn't faze her, though, as she swung Soul Eater forward and charged headlong into battle.

Avoiding a series of bites from the Dragon, Will hopped off of the nearby wall and slashed at the massive beast with the Soul Eater.

Just barely dodging a tail strike, Will skidded to a stop before deciding to try a new trick she'd learned just recently. She began charging her Soul Eater with dark energy and plunged it into the floor.

As the Dragon stomped closer, Will dragged the Soul Eater forward and up until it was completely out of the ground. This movement created a massive trench in the floor, followed by an immense wave of dark energy that thundered forward and struck the Dragon in the neck, causing it to back off.

Not ready to give in yet, Will charged forward once again. Hopping into the air, Will spun the Soul Eater around in her hands before throwing it towards the Dragon in a similar fashion to Nick's Strike Raid attack. The spinning blade pierced the Dragon's skin, causing it to howl in agony.

Catching her weapon, Will made her final move, plunging the Soul Eater straight into the Dragon's back. Not content with just that, Will concentrated her dark power and fed it straight into the Soul Eater, causing the Dragon to quite literally explode, though Will was able to shield herself so as to avoid staining her clothes.

Once the battlefield was calm, the blood that stained the walls quickly vanished.

Will giggled a bit. "Kinda reminds me of that Jet Force Gemini world... when Mizar fused with that asteroid and there was a dark orb in his EAR... now THAT was gross, all told..."

After a few seconds, Will found herself back in Castle Oblivion.

"_Why do you shun the dark?"_

Will perked up at this. "Oh, come off it. I know you heard every word I said to Diablos," she answered.

"_Darkness is your weapon. I need you to accept it."_

"What do you care?"

"_Stop resisting and accept the darkness. You must... if you are to serve me again!"_

Will looked on as who else but Xehanort appeared.

"Xehanort... just as I suspected," Will noted.

"You don't seem surprised," Xehanort answered.

"You always were chatty when it came to darkness," Will teased. "So let me guess... You want to pull me back into the darkness and play puppet master again... right?"

"Clever girl," Xehanort stated. "You'll make a fine host. Now surrender to the darkness again and..."

Will growled, holding the Soul Eater in a fighting stance. "You're insane, freak! There won't be an 'again'!!"

Will charged, only to be knocked back by a pulse wave of dark energy.

"Did you really think you could harm me? A weakling like you couldn't even defeat Nick... and you had darkness on your side," Xehanort taunted.

"Excuse me... for being weak..." Will answered.

"You need the darkness. Submit! Bow to the darkness, and bow to me."

"Not... a chance..."

"Only darkness can help you now."

"_You're wrong, freak!!"_

A glowing ball of light appeared in front of Will, and that's when she recognized the voice.

"That voice... Queen Elyon? Is that really you?" Will asked.

"You betcha! Will, you're not alone. Listen carefully now. The light will never give up on you. You'll always find it, even in the deepest darkness! All you have to do is believe!"

Will smiled. "I will."

She then turned towards Xehanort, a smile on her face as she prepared to fight. "Hear that? I'm not losing to the darkness today, Xehanort."

Xehanort smirked. "You think some feeble light can save you from the darkness I command? Simple-minded fool!"

"Remember what I told you, Xehanort?" Will challenged. "If I ever get lost in the light, the darkness... MY darkness... will show me the way!!"

Will charged, slashing Xehanort across the side. Xehanort responded to this by barreling forward with a dark aura surrounding him. Will performed another Dark Wave to counter this, then backflipped over Xehanort, striking him in the back.

Not wasting a second, Will leaped into the air and brought the Soul Eater down on Xehanort's head, putting an end to the rather short battle.

"That all you've got?" Will taunted. "Nick actually gave me more of a workout."

"It seems that you are intent on resisting the darkness. Very well, then, see with your own eyes," Xehanort stated, holding some cards towards the dark warrior. "These are cards crafted from your memory. Advance through the worlds they beget, and you will come to understand... chasing the light will not distance you from the dark. You cannot run."

Will smiled brightly. "Who's running? Give me the cards. I'll enter those worlds. And in the end, if I haven't given up... I win."

Xehanort passed Will the cards. "I have one more gift for you."

With that, Will began glowing with a dark green aura. Once it dissipated, Will growled. "What'd you do to me, you bastard?"

"I tempered the darkness that remains in your heart," Xehanort answered.

"What, you still think I'd rely on darkness?"

"Whether or not you use it is your choice. I'll be waiting, Will... for you to come to your senses and yield to the darkness!"

With that, Xehanort was gone.

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Down in a blue room, more members of Organization XIII can be seen talking.

After a few seconds, Lexaeus appears, very silent.

"Don't I even get a hello, Lexaeus?" Zexion asks, only for Vexen to appear as well.

"Zexion, what's going on?" Vexen stated. "I demand an explanation."

"Nice to see you too, Vexen," Zexion answered. "You know, it's deplorable... The Organization used to be the rope that binds us. And now it's full of kinks."

"How dare you...?!"

"Let it go, Vexen," Lexaeus answered. "Zexion, tell us. What did you detect?"

"Visitors," Zexion responded. "I picked up two scents in the castle's lowest basement. One of them was Diablos, but..."

"Absurd. The dark wizard is gone. He cannot return from the realm of darkness of his own volition," Vexen stated.

"If you'd let me finish... The scent belonged to a very convincing double. But I can't say much beyond that, since the would-be Diablos is no more. Our other visitor saw to that."

"Who is it?"

"I don't know, Lexaeus... but the scent was very similar to the Superior's. Exactly similar, if I may say."

"Rubbish!!"

"Fact, Vexen. Now what shall we do?"

"Let us bide our time and see what develops," Lexaeus answered.

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Will looked at her hand as she approached the next door upwards. "Something... tastes kind of funny... What is it? It's so familiar... Darkness. The taste of darkness. What's happened to me? The darkness even seeps into my senses..."

"_Don't you worry, Will!"_

"Your Majesty? Is that you?"

Elyon appeared in front of Will, though she looked a little blurry.

"What's wrong, Elyon? You're all... fuzzy..."

"_I can only send a little bit of my power here. But I have a request."_

"A request? From Your Majesty?"

"_Will, don't let go of yourself just because darkness has a hold on you. Fight the darkness inside you! It won't be easy... But don't forget! Even in the darkest darkness, there's always a little light."_

"Light... within darkness?"

"_You and I have seen it! The far-off, welcoming light inside the door to darkness... the light of Kingdom Hearts, Will... it'll show you the way. Please don't give up. Just believe in the light. That's all I ask."_

"Okay... I'll try my best."

"_And I'll try to find a way to reach you. I'll come, I promise."_

Will looked surprised as Elyon leaned forward and gave Will a quick peck on the cheek.

"_There. A promise from me to you."_

With that, Elyon disappeared. Will smiled.

"Okay, Xehanort. Time to show you what I'm made of."

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Next time:

Chapter 2-B: Soon to Be Completely Eclipsed

Will begins her own journey through the card worlds, ready to fight to the very end in hopes of defeating the darkness that still dwells within her...

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"You little..." Maylin stated, holding Chinese Spirit up as best she could. He just stood there, laughing evilly.

"Now do you understand that it's hopeless?" he stated.

"Haruka dear... looks like it's up to you... kick his ass for me, okay?" Maylin stated. She managed to say _"Aishiteru"_ to her brunette comrade before collapsing, completely unconscious.

Haruka turned to him, anger flaring from her eyes. Sweet Crest began to glow in her hands.

"You're going to pay for that," Haruka threatened.

"Come and fight me if you can!"

_To be continued..._


	3. Nick's Story: Crystal of Memories

As Nick continued his ascent to the second floor, he remembered what the enigmatic Axel had told him before disappearing:

"_When your sleeping memories awaken... you may no longer be you."_

"That's really bothering me what he said..." Nick thought. "What could he have meant by that? How could I be anyone besides me?"

Nick took a look at the Oathkeeper keyblade. It seemed to be glowing with a golden light.

Shaking it off, Nick smiled. "I shouldn't let it worry me. Whatever these freaks are cooking up, I'll be able to handle them."

Just then, a memory flashed into his head.

_Near the top of the Rising Falls, Will (in her normal clothes, but still wielding the Soul Eater) can be seen confronting a young woman with short blue hair tied into two small ponytails and wearing long, flowing white robes._

"_No vessel, no help from the Heartless..." Will quipped. "So tell me, Orube, how'd you get here?"_

"_You know well enough, Will," Orube responded. "When your pitiful Heartless invaded Candracar, I just barely got out of there. I believed, and that's all it took. I can't believe what you did to Taranee. She was one of the nicest people I'd ever met. I WILL get her back!"_

"_Come and take her if you can!" Will challenged. Orube let out a mighty battle cry and leapt for Will, lashing out with many hand-to-hand strikes, all of which were easily countered._

_Will lashed out with the Soul Eater. Orube didn't see it coming until it was too late._

Nick looked a bit confused when he came back to reality. "When did that happen? And if it's supposed to be important to me, why couldn't I remember it?"

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(They say that those who cannot do, follow someone and learn.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_W.I.T.C.H.: Keys of Memory  
_Story Created: March 12th, 2008  
This Chapter: September 2nd, 2008  
Summary: Directly following the events of _Key to Her Heart_, Nick journeys to Castle Oblivion, still on the search for his missing friends. What he finds in this castle may tear his very world apart... Meanwhile, Will, still on her path to cleanse the darkness inside her, also finds herself in Castle Oblivion, hoping to find a way to erase Xehanort's still-standing influence on her...  
On Today's Episode: Nick continues his journey through the card-worlds, hoping to find Will and unravel just what the Organization is really up to...

Also, I don't own ANY franchises used in this story. They belong to whoever created them. This story is copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger (me), March 2008.

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Chapter 2-A: Crystal of Memories

Nick looked around his surroundings as he came to a stop inside the coliseum-style area.

"Wait, I remember this place!" Nick exclaimed. "This is the Alfea School of Magic. This was where we started off this whole journey when we left Traverse Town..."

The only difference between this memory and the Alfea School that he remembered was that this place was completely empty.

"It's probably because the place was mostly empty the last time I was here. This memory is probably based off of the times I remember from that place..."

Nick looked up, only to see a column of darkness appearing from out of nowhere. From it came the Trickmaster, a Heartless that Nick still clearly remembered. The evil witch Icy was sitting on its shoulder, just like before.

"That's one memory I REALLY WISH I could forget!!" Nick exclaimed, bringing out two cards from his deck and holding them into the air. The cards shined, and they turned into perfect replicas of Maylin and Haruka, just like before. All three readied their keyblades for battle.

Responding to this unseen challenge, the Trickmaster crossed its dual torches and began charging up energy.

"Oh, I've seen this one before!" Maylin exclaimed, drawing a spell coin from her pocket. "I'll show you! BLIZZARA!!"

Maylin slammed the Chinese Spirit keyblade into the coin and shot a powerful gust of frost towards the Trickmaster. However, to Maylin's evident surprise, the Trickmaster then shot a gigantic fireball from its crossed torches that punched through Maylin's Blizzara spell.

"What the...?" Maylin exclaimed, just barely batting away the fireball with her keyblade.

"All right, my turn!" Haruka shouted, running up and charging her Sweet Crest keyblade until it began glowing a bright blue. Taking her chance, Haruka threw her keyblade towards the Trickmaster, hoping to knock it off balance so Maylin could attempt another spell. This time, it worked, the spinning Sweet Crest slamming into the Trickmaster, causing it to fall to its knees. The impact was such that Icy was sent flying off of the Trickmaster.

Maylin drew another spell coin, intent on having this one hurt. "You picked the wrong girl to mess with, dark boy! THUNDARA!!"

Her spell coin glowing a bright yellow, Maylin thrust her keyblade towards the Trickmaster, a giant bolt of electricity flying for it. However, the Trickmaster easily absorbed it, firing it right back at Maylin, who just barely dodged.

Seeing his own chance, Nick raised the Oathkeeper and made a massive leap towards the flailing Icy. One good strike sent her flying. Nick wasn't done yet, though.

Nick focused on the Oathkeeper's magical energy and teleported to Icy's location, knocking her backwards with another strike. Icy could do nothing but watch helplessly as Nick pinballed her around in the air before delivering a final downward slash that sent the ice witch crashing to the ground.

With Icy incapacitated, Nick turned his focus on the Trickmaster, the Oathkeeper glowing a bright blue. The Trickmaster noticed this, and began flailing its arms wildly, not giving Nick a single opening to attack from.

This didn't faze Nick in the slightest, as he quickly charged for the immense Heartless. Before he struck, he seemed to move forward so fast that nothing was left but a single ghost image.

Nick reappeared rather quickly, and, much like he had done with the Guard Armor, drove the Oathkeeper straight into the Trickmaster's head. After a short while, the Trickmaster completely evaporated, its only remains being a single glowing heart and a leaf-green crystal.

Maylin and Haruka smiled towards Nick yet again before reforming into the cards they'd come from.

(Author's Note: Yes, another direct-copy battle. It's frickin' late, and I'm tired. I'll try not to do a direct-copy in the next chapter...)

Once the dust from the battle had settled, Nick headed for the door that had just appeared, finding himself back in Castle Oblivion.

"What was that castle I saw before?" Nick wondered. "I can't remember what it was, but I'm quite sure I didn't make it up... Maybe my journal has something to say about it..."

Nick reached into his pocket, pulling out the aforementioned journal. When he opened it, he gasped in shock.

"What happened?! There's nothing in there! But I could have sworn I just put my last entry in there before I came here!!" Nick exclaimed.

Staring up at the skylights, Nick sighed. "What kind of castle is this?"

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Next time:

Chapter 3-A: Days Gone By

As Nick continues his search through the card-worlds, he begins to wonder what the Organization is up to... Also, someone appears to be watching him, and it's not who you'd think...

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"What the heck are these things?!" Maylin exclaimed, batting away the mysterious creatures with her keyblade.

"I honestly have no clue, Mei-chan," Haruka wondered, holding Sweet Crest in a defensive stance.

"We don't know much about them," stated Timber, a young wolf creature who was wielding a keyblade of his own. This particular wolf was one of the commanding officers of the Nightwatch. "What we do know is that they're called Unbirth, and they're just as devious as the Heartless."

"GREAT!! As if we didn't have enough trouble here!!" Maylin exclaimed, slashing through another Unbirth with lightning speed.

"I wouldn't make them mad, Mei-chan," Haruka stated. "If they're as powerful as the Heartless, we'd best stay on our guard."


	4. Reverse Rebirth: Be Completely Eclipsed

Will took a good look at the door ahead of her. The ruby-haired dark warrior cast a glance at the world cards that Xehanort had given her.

"Why is Xehanort still trying to take over my heart? I already told him that I'm never giving into the darkness again..." Will wondered.

"I promised Nick and Irma..." Will continued, blushing heavily and giving a dreamy sigh at the thought of the two people she'd made her promise to. At the climax of the previous journey, after her defeat at Hollow Bastion, Xehanort had abandoned her, leaving her to die in the World's End. Thankfully, Nick and his party had found her, and they'd all worked together to destroy Xehanort once and for all. During that short time, Will had realized that she had fallen in love with both Nick and Irma, due to the inescapable fact that they had never given up on her, despite everything she had done while under Xehanort's influence.

She really wanted to see those two again, but she knew it would have to wait until she'd completed her own journey to cleanse the darkness within her. Only then could she face her friends again.

"I won't forget my promise," Will stated, holding the first world card up to the shimmering door in front of her.

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(They say that those who cannot do, follow someone and learn.)

S.P.D. Gold Ranger presents:  
_W.I.T.C.H.: Keys of Memory  
_Story Created: March 12, 2008  
This Chapter: September 25, 2008  
Summary: Directly following the events of _Key to Her Heart_, Nick journeys to Castle Oblivion, still on the search for his missing friends. What he finds in this castle may tear his very world apart... Meanwhile, Will, still on her path to cleanse the darkness inside her, also finds herself in Castle Oblivion, hoping to find a way to erase Xehanort's still-standing influence on her...  
On Today's Episode: Will begins her own journey through the card worlds, ready to fight to the very end in hopes of defeating the darkness that still dwells within her...

Also, I don't own ANY franchises used in this story. They belong to whoever created them. This story is copyright S.P.D. Gold Ranger (me), March 2008.

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Chapter 2-B: Soon to Be Completely Eclipsed

As Will came out on the other side of the door, she noticed familiar surroundings. Had she been here before?

"Wait a minute, now I remember! This must be the Alfea School of Magic!" Will exclaimed. "If my memory is correct, this was the first world that Nick and his friends went to..."

Will hadn't noticed it for a few seconds, but she found herself blushing again at the mere mention of Nick's name. She quickly shook it off.

"Get it together, Will!" the dark warrior chided herself. "You can swoon later. Right now, I've got some memories to travel."

After a little while of exploring and Heartless slaughtering, Will made her way to the Key of Beginnings room, where she encountered Icy, the witch who constantly harassed this world's defenders, the Winx Club.

"ICY?!" Will exclaimed. "Of all the people I could run into, it had to be you..."

"Well, well, just in time, my dear dark warrior," Icy stated. "I've got a little task for you."

Will smirked. "You can go shove it," she shot back. "I'm following my own path now, and that doesn't include you."

Icy growled, her aforementioned magical power concentrating in her palms. "How dare you mock me, you little brat!!"

Will simply brought the Soul Eater into a fighting stance. "Let's go, if you think you can take me."

That seemed to be it for Icy, who let out a roar and charged forward, aiming ice bolts for Will, who easily dodged each one of them. The ruby-haired warrior responded to this by performing a graceful combo attack with the Soul Eater that knocked Icy flat on her back.

Not one to be discouraged, Icy picked herself up and slammed her palms onto the floor, sending out a wave of ice energy that would have made Will slip and fall had she not jumped in time.

Icy looked up at Will, only to notice that she was slowly being covered by a cocoon of darkness. When Will came out, she was in her dark form, and the Soul Eater had shifted into the Dark Keyblade. The only difference was that Will didn't have the evil look in her eyes anymore.

_I bet Nick would think I look sexy in this outfit,_ Will thought, then mentally slapping herself. _Where the hell did THAT thought come from?!_

Will landed on the ground, only to immediately bring the Dark Keyblade up to block a powerful attack from Icy.

"You really think that's going to work on me?" Will taunted, nailing Icy with a Dark Wave attack, then hopping behind the ice witch and attacking with another graceful combo.

Leaping back to her starting position, Will began focusing her dark powers before zipping off into the air.

As Icy looked around for her opponent, Will came crashing back down, slamming the Dark Keyblade into Icy's head, then jumping skyward again. She repeated this a few times until Icy was thrown on her back.

Will smirked, gripping the Dark Keyblade tightly. "Okay, then!! It's time I put an end to you!!" Will exclaimed, driving the Dark Keyblade into Icy's back and charging it with dark energy, much like she had done against the Dragon in Hollow Bastion.

This motion filled the room with an extremely bright light, and when it cleared, Icy was gone. Will grinned and let the Dark Keyblade drop to her side as she returned to her normal self, the Soul Eater taking the place of the Dark Keyblade.

"That was fun," Will stated, heading for the world's exit.

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"I've identified the scent. It's Will," Zexion noted after the battle with Icy had died down.

"Will?" Vexen responded, still a little confused. "How could she have escaped from the realm of darkness?"

"She once shouldered the darkness..." Zexion pondered.

"I see, and perhaps that made her half-dark. The dark power given to her facilitated her escape from the realm of darkness," Vexen proclaimed, spinning his shield around.

"What I want to know is why she appeared here."

"That's simple. Her existence resonates with that of another hero."

"Then Nick's in the castle, too?"

"Yes, he arrived earlier. Marluxia is already using Naminé to meddle with Nick's heart."

"And he didn't consult us about it."

Vexen smirked. "It seems he's dying to control the Keyblade master. How stupid of him. Nick and Will's existence may be interesting, but the one most valuable to us is Will, the hero of darkness."

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Next time:

Chapter 3-B: As We Fly Towards Destiny

Will continues her journey, and eventually runs into a member of the Organization, who seems to know a lot about her...

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"So, what _are_ the Unbirth, exactly?" Haruka asked Timber once the battlefield had calmed down.

"GOD, those things put up one hell of a fight," Maylin stated, rubbing her sore shoulders.

"You looked pretty cute out there, even though you were getting creamed," Haruka admitted, blushing madly.

"Please don't remind me of that, Haruka-chan," Maylin stated. "That's one butt-kicking I don't ever want to relive."

Timber looked down at his records. "From what we gathered, the Unbirth are not created from light, darkness, or twilight, but from an unknown element that's got even the Nightwatch befuddled..."

"Whoa. Creepy, huh?" Maylin noted.


End file.
